Satisfaction with Information Used to Choose Prostate Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Purpose After being diagnosed with prostate cancer men must assimilate information regarding the cancer. Satisfaction with information reflects the evaluation of information sources used before treatment to select a therapy. We describe the use and helpfulness of several information sources available to prostate cancer survivors. We also identified factors associated with satisfaction with information. Materials and Methods A total of 1,204 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer were enrolled in the prospective, multicenter Prostate Cancer Outcomes and Satisfaction with Therapy Quality Assessment study. The validated satisfaction with information domain of the Service Satisfaction Scale-Cancer was administered to subjects 2 months after treatment. The relationship between several factors, such as demographics, socioeconomic factors, cancer severity and types of information sources, and satisfaction with information were evaluated using multiple regression. Results Sources of information endorsed by subjects varied by race, education and study site. The most helpful sources were treatment description by the treating physician (33.1%), Internet sites (18.9%) and books (18.1%). In multiple variable models patient age (p = 0.005) and information provided by the physician regarding outcomes in their patients (p = 0.01) were independently associated with patient satisfaction with the information provided. Conclusions Various information sources were used and endorsed as helpful by subjects, although results for physician patients was the only source independently associated with satisfaction with information. Providing patients with information about possible or expected courses of care and outcomes may improve satisfaction.

Prostate Cancer on the Web—Expedient Tool for Patients’ Decision-Making?

“…Moreover, 68 % of patients with PCa have searched the Internet for information on their disease, and 99 % found the available information helpful. Interestingly, the Internet was rated as the second most satisfying information source for PCa after physicians' counseling and ahead of books, family/ friends, and pamphlets [4].…”

Time-driven activity-based costing: a driver for provider engagement in costing activities and redesign initiatives

“…The second team studied the benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) service line (urology pilot). 7 This is a prevalent condition treated with substantial practice pattern variation and is managed by primary care physicians (primary care) and specialists (secondary care).…”

“…7 They mapped the processes along each potential care pathway and captured the key decision points. General and condition-specific outcomes of importance to the patient were linked to each pathway.…”

With Patient-reported Health Changing, Is It Time to Retool Our Instruments?

“…The pervasiveness of direct-to-consumer advertising, as seen with sildenafil and other medications for erectile dysfunction, suggests evolving social norms for health topics previously considered taboo. The emergence of alternative information sources (eg, the Internet and other media) and a conceptualization of quality that revolves around patient values are not mentioned but may also shape how men perceive and ultimately report their health status [2,3].…”

“…Given the current landscape of PCa care, new facets may factor into patient-reported outcomes. The transfer of knowledge, the decision-making process, and the quality of support (from physicians and families) affect overall experience and may interplay with health-related QoL [3,6,7]. Stress related to uncertainty and testing bother (from prostate-specific antigen and repeated prostate biopsies) may also be an emerging consideration, especially as active surveillance grows in popularity.…”